This invention pertains to an air propulsion system, and more particularly to an improved compressed air propulsion system for a vehicle.
Many compressed air driven vehicles have been devised in attempting to provide a means of transportation that is inexpensive and pollution free. Most of these vehicles include a conventional engine having a piston-cylinder arrangement connected to a crankshaft, and a conventional, yet complex, valve assembly including camlifters, rocker arms, springs, and the like connected to the crankshaft or camshaft for supplying compressed air to the cylinders to reciprocate the pistons therein. Compressed air is delivered to the cylinders through air lines leading from the supply of compressed air and connected to the intake valves, and is then exhausted through the exhaust valves in the conventional manner.
One of the primary disadvantages with this type of compressed air driven engine is the continued use of the conventional valve assembly operated by the complex arrangement of camlifters, rocker arms, springs, and the like. In any mechanical apparatus, the more moving parts or elements required for the operation of the apparatus, the more complex it becomes and the more susceptible it is to mechanical or material failure.
In still other different types of compressed air driven vehicles, solenoid valves are connected to the air lines leading to the cylinders and are electrically operated to supply and terminate a flow of compressed air. The electrical circuitry operating the solenoids is in someway mechanically related to the rotation of the crankshaft or camshaft. For example, the reciprocative motion of the rocker arms driven by the crankshaft or camshaft can be adapted to open and close the electrical circuitry between the battery and solenoid valves, thereby supplying and terminating the flow of compressed air to the cylinders.
Although the use of solenoids increases the efficiency in delivering compressed air to the cylinders, operation of the solenoids by the conventional arrangement of valves, camlifters, rocker arms, springs, and the like still poses the problem of a greater probability of mechanical or material failure.
Compressed air can be supplied to the engine in a number of ways, one of which is to provide an air compressor driven by a battery and mounted on the vehicle. Naturally, the major drawback associated with this type of battery-driven air compressor is the fact that the battery will eventually require recharging or replacing, either of which may occur at a most undesirable time and place.
Another prior art method of supplying compressed air is to mount both an air compressor and a combustion engine on the vehicle frame. The fuel-driven combustion engine is connected by its crankshaft to the air compressor for the operation thereof. Again, the primary disadvantage with this type of air compressor is the undesirable use of the polluting fuel-driven combustion engine. Any use of a combustion engine defeats the purpose of a pollution-free compressed air driven vehicle.
Still another method of supplying a source of compressed air is to provide a plurality of rechargeable compressed air tanks mounted on the vehicle. The major problem associated with this type of air compressor is similar to that of the battery-operated air compressor in that continual monitoring of the system is required, i.e., the operator must continually monitor the pressure available to insure proper operation of the air driven engine. Furthermore, using rechargeable air tanks presents the possibility of the tanks requiring recharging when a source of compressed air is not available.